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Comment by BasilAwad | Hacker News Reader

As in racial discrimination? Yeah, I'm sure it will for some. But it's still really useful. For example, I'm sure the videos play a big role in YC applications, although probably not as a first criteria.

Plus it's not like the developers would be talking about something obscure, they would be talking about their core competencies.

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Not just racial discrimination, but also discrimination based on one's manner of speaking, confidence, or charisma. Some people don't have English as a first language, undersell their abilities, or aren't comfortable on camera; does that mean they should not get a gig for which they are otherwise qualified? These are exactly the qualities that a video judges.

If I was using this service, I wouldn't be looking for film star charisma, but I would want good communication skills. If someone isn't a good communicator, I'd feel unhappy either hiring them for remote work, or doing remote work for them; there would be too many possibilities for misunderstanding.

There is often a big difference in competency level between written and verbal communication. If most project communication happens through email, how someone communicates on video isn't a good signal for how well they will communicate.

I understood the GP in a different way, complaining about the discrimination of people with 'less capable' social skills.

Presenting yourself in a video might be a challenge:

* You are an introvert/shy guy

* Your written english is fine, but your accent sucks/you are not that fluent

Both (especially the first though) are really no big problems in a business relationship, especially for these kinds of projects. I'd even argue that number one is the stereotype of a potentially great hacker. So - letting guys like these compete in a video contest with people that are more self-confident/marketing savvy is 'discriminating' .

It's not a video contest. It could be just like the YC application videos and the people at CodeYourIdea can screen it to make sure it's just a webcam and nothing car salesmanish. I don't know about other people, but I would appreciate an introvert who could still decently communicate as I would intuitively translate that into intelligence. I get suspicious when the person is a smooth fast talker.

Plus I think the video would be a really big deal for first time solicitors for code projects.

I (hope I) know that's not what you meant. But it still is another hurdle. The skills to do a decent video are mostly irrelevant to the job you want the guy to do (assuming you want a freelance coder. I obviously understand that you're not going to choose a co-founder based on some textfields and a short bio).

Creating a video is the worst way to get an impression though, in my world. If you meet me on the street we can have a great talk and I am quite confident that my english is more than good (though with an accent that I hate) enough to discuss every practical matter. Doing a video call would be more awkward, but perfectly doable. Sitting alone in front of a camera, selling myself to the world with a broad smile? Nope, sir...

I don't think that I'm alone with that attitude and I doubt that this influences my communication skills in a project let alone my coding abilities.

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